HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 03-09 Twin Cities suburban police battling car thieves with new GPS technology STARTRIBUNEEAST METRO
Twin Cities suburban police battling car
thieves with new GPS technology
Squad cars are being outfitted with StarChase, which shoots a device
onto a fleeing vehicle so it can be tracked.
By Shannon Prather (https://www.startribune.com/shannon-prather/6370507/) Star Tribune
MARCH 9. 2022 — 5:21AM
Maplewood police officers know they can initiate a high-speed chase only when the
driver is suspected of a violent crime and lives are at stake.
Many of the bad guys know that, too.
"In my 20 years in law enforcement, I have never seen this many suspects fleeing from
police," Maplewood Police Chief Brian Bierdeman said.
Maplewood is now among the first law enforcement agencies in Minnesota investing in
GPS tracking technology called StarChase, which allows officers to tag and track stolen
vehicles and apprehend suspects without a dangerous high-speed pursuit.
"We are looking for alternatives to pursuits other than saying, 'We can't pursue.' We want
to hold people accountable," Bierdeman said, acknowledging the public's frustration
with rising vehicle thefts.
Four departments in the state — Maplewood, Roseville and Brooklyn Center police and
the Ramsey County Sheriffs Office —are using state Department of Commerce grants to
install vehicle -mounted GPS launchers on some of their squad cars.
"It's not a exaggeration: We have several vehicles flee from our police officers every
single week," Roseville Deputy Chief Joe Adams said. "In Roseville, we are continuing to
leverage technology to increase public safety."
How it works
A cylinder with a GPS tracker about the size of an aspirin bottle is launched using air
pressure from the front of the police squad car and adheres to the back of the fleeing
vehicle using magnets and a sticky adhesive. Officers and dispatchers then can track the
vehicle and make an arrest when it's safe.
DAVID JOLES, STAR TRIBUNE
A small GPS unit sticks to the back of a car,
deployed from tubes installed in the grille of a
Maplewood police squad.
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As of Tuesday morning, no department has deployed them yet, but Ramsey County
Undersheriff Mike Martin said they're ready. The Sheriffs Office, which provides police
service for seven suburbs, has a more nuanced chase policy, but Martin said public
safety is always a top priority.
"We believe there is a need to get violent offenders and auto thieves off the street," he
said. "We want to do it in a way that is safe and in a way that we can avoid high-speed
pursuits."
The dangers of chases
Police chases in the Twin Cities have ended in tragedy.
In September 2021, two teen passengers, Marcoz Paramo, 14, and Alyjah Thomas, 15,
were killed after a teen driving a stolen car refused to stop for Ramsey County Sheriffs
deputies and crashed in St. Paul.. The teen driver was later charged
[ https://www.startribune.com/teen-driver-in-fatal-maplewood-crash-makes-first-court-
appearance/600094769/?refresh=true)with criminal vehicular homicide.
Last summer, Leneal Frazier, 40, was killed when a Minneapolis police squad car struck
his vehicle during a high-speed chase. The officer was charged
[;https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-police-officer-charged-in-fatal-
crash/600109027/) in that case.
All four departments using StarChase are working to make sure the new technology
complies with state law.
Making changes
Minnesota state statute requires the vehicle's owner give consent to track their vehicle.
Maplewood police and the Ramsey County Sheriffs Office are asking owners'
permission to track their stolen vehicles. Roseville and Brooklyn Center are still drafting
their policies.
The Sheriffs Office is also seeking a change to state statute that would allow law
enforcement to track stolen vehicles for 24 hours without consent from the owners.
State Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview, is carrying the bill.
The four departments are buying the technology from StarChase, a Virginia -based
company, that partners with law enforcement in 28 states. StarChase is currently
working with about a handful of Minnesota law enforcement agencies.
"Why wouldn't we want to use technology to slow things down, take a step back, lower
the adrenaline and make a safe arrest that doesn't compromise public safety or risk the
life of the mom coming home from work?" said StarChase owner and founder Trevor
Fischbach.
Local police and Fischbach said this isn't just about recovering stolen property more
quickly. Stolen vehicles are often used in other crimes, including carjackings and
robberies.
"Auto theft and carjackings lead to millions of dollars in losses and traumatic incidents
for victims. They also lead to higher insurance premiums," Martin said in an e-mail.
The collateral damage and potential injuries from police chases are also causing
financial problems for communities across the country, Fischbach said.
Is this OK?
Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology
Project, said the technology doesn't pose a problem so long as it's used when an officer
has the equivalent of probable cause of wrongdoing and does not have time to get a
warrant.
The tracker also needs to be removed once authorities find the stolen vehicle.
Stanley, who first gave his opinion on StarChase in 2014, said it hasn't changed in the
past eight years.
"I have not heard of any civil liberty issues with that technology," Stanley said.
Maplewood is spending about $35,000 of its $204,000 grant on StarChase, according to
City Council documents. The grant also helps pay for a dedicated auto theft investigator.
Roseville is spending about $38,000 on StarChase.
Maplewood Mayor Marylee Abrams said she supports the technology and promised it
will be regulated and monitored.
"With the marked increase in carjackings and stolen vehicles, law enforcement needs to
find new tools to deter crime while adding safety features to protect the public," Abrams
said.
Shannon Prather covers Ramsey County for the Star Tribune. Previously, she covered philanthropy
and nonprofits. Prather has two decades of experience reporting for newspapers in Minnesota,
California, Idaho, Wisconsin and North Dakota. She has covered a variety of topics including the legal
system, law enforcement, education, municipal government and slice -of -life community news.
Shannon. Prather@startribune.com 612-673-4804 ShannonMPrather